


When A Lovely Flame Dies

by HannaM



Category: Pretty Little Liars, Twin Peaks
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2018-01-24 07:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1596860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaM/pseuds/HannaM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I don't know why, but small towns with high crime rates always seem to have the best coffee. Makes you feel like it'd be okay if it was your last cup."</p>
            </blockquote>





	When A Lovely Flame Dies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prozacpark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prozacpark/gifts).



> Set in some nebulous alternate universe version of recent-ish canon.

The first thing Spencer noticed about Aria's cousin was the cigarette smoke that clung to her lithe form. Second was her bright red lipstick, which she was applying with the aid of Aria's mirror.  
  
Without looking at Spencer, she said, "I like it in here. You can see Aria's dreams spread over the dresser. And," she touched the little picture of Alison, "her." Her eyes met Spencer's then, and she smiled. "I'm Audrey Horne."  
  
Spencer doesn't know much about Audrey, just that she works for the government and grew up in Washington State. And she knows that she never met Alison. "Spencer Hastings."  
  
Audrey leaned against the dresser, her manicured fingers brushing against Aria's copy of _War and Peace_. "You're supposed to be the smart one."  
  
"Supposed to be?" Spencer repeated, insulted.  
  
"That's what Aria says," Audrey replied, oblivious to Spencer's anger. "Top of the class." She grins. "I wasn't very good in school."  
  
"But you work for the government."  
  
Her grin widened, as if they were sharing a private joke. "FBI. I made out all right in college. How long's your friend been dead?"  
  
The words hit Spencer in the gut. She forgets sometimes that people still think Ali's dead. Usually adults are more tactful. "Why?"  
  
"A girl was murdered in my home town too," Audrey said, thoughtfully. "Everybody loved Laura. Even if nobody knew her."  
  
That unsettles Spencer, because she wanted to lift her head and say that she knew Ali, knows Ali, loved her, loves her-- but if there's one thing she's learned over the past couple of years, it's that everybody has secrets, and no one had more of them than Alison DiLaurentis.  
  
What was it that Ali said? _Oh honey, you didn't even know me when you knew me._  
  
Instead, Spencer folded her arms and said, "Why are you here?"  
  
Audrey pulled a cigarette out of her purse and offered it to Spencer without a word.  
  
"You can't smoke in Aria's room," she snapped.  
  
"Then let's go outside. I have a light."  
  
"I don't smoke," Spencer said tartly.  
  
"Sure you don't want to try it out? It might make you a little less tense."  
  
She can tell Audrey's teasing her, and it doesn't improve her mood. "I'll pass on the lung cancer, thanks."  
  
The older woman didn't seem to take offense, simply put away the cigarette, straightened up and walked out of the room, red heels clicking on the floor. "You coming with me?"  
  
Since there's no sign of Aria, Spencer did, reluctantly. It didn't escape her that Audrey had evaded the question. "You didn't say what brought you to Rosewood."  
  
Instead of going outside to smoke, Audrey flopped onto the sofa, kicking off her heels and stretching like a cat, for all the world as if she were still a teenager herself. "That's right, I didn't."  
  
"Is it because of the girl who died in your hometown? Laura?" Spencer persisted, refusing to sit down.  
  
Audrey yawned. "Don't be silly, that murder was solved ages ago. You were still probably a kid when it happened."  
  
"You're not so much older than me," Spencer retorted. "Wouldn't you have been a kid, too?"  
  
For the first time, a trace of annoyance mars Audrey's face. "Somebody sure thought so. Though it didn't exactly stop me from trying to find out what happened." And just like that, the annoyance was gone, replaced by another smile. "From the sound of it, you and Aria and your other friends have been doing a little bit more than sitting around feeling sad yourselves."  
  
"She was my best friend," Spencer said, nails digging into her palms. "Our best friend. And we still don't know who killed her." _Or who tried to._  
  
"I'm sorry." She sounded sincere, at least, until her next comment. "Is there any place near here that serves good coffee? _Real_ good coffee. The last cup I had was from Starbucks."  
  
"There's Rear Window Brew. My friend works there part time."  
  
"Oh, good." Audrey slipped on her red high heels again and stood up. "I don't know why, but small towns with high crime rates always seem to have the best coffee. Makes you feel like it'd be okay if it was your last cup."  
  
And before Spencer could get out a retort to that bit of whimsy, Aria, at long last, walked in. "Hey, Spence, Audrey. Wasn't expecting to see you together."  
  
"I like your friend, Aria," Audrey said, pulling out the box of cigarettes again. "She told me I was gonna get lung cancer."  
  
"Spencer!" Aria exclaimed, for all the world as if she hadn't gotten an A on her anti-smoking poster in the 6th grade. Apparently being rude is a greater sin than being an addict.  
  
"How much have you told Audrey about Alison?" Spencer asked.  
  
Aria gave her a look that clearly said _I don't want to have this discussion in front of my cousin_. So not enough to make her dangerous. Even if she was FBI.  
  
Audrey pursed her lips . "I wonder if she knew how lucky she was, having friends who cared for her like you two."  
  
"Trust me, she knew," Aria muttered.  
  
Aria's cousin drew close to Spencer, almost as if she meant to kiss her. "Do you like my perfume?"  
  
"It's nice," Spencer said stiffly.  
  
Audrey grinned, and walked to the door. "I'll see if I can find that coffee shop you mentioned. Do they have pie, too?"  
  
"They have muffins."  
  
"They're very good muffins," Aria said hastily.  
  
"I'll have to try one then. See you later Aria, Spencer." She struck a match, lit her cigarette, and took a deep drag, never taking her eyes off Spencer. Exhaling, she turned and walked off the porch and onto the street.

"Okay, what did I miss?" Aria demanded. "Why is my cousin hitting on you?"  
  
"She never said why she was visiting," Spencer said stubbornly.

Aria sighed. "She follows crimes for a living. She probably would have showed up in Rosewood the day after Ali's funeral if she hadn't already been working on a case in Chicago at the time."

"Nobody's died across state lines. There's no reason for an FBI agent to be here."

"She's my cousin, Spence. She's worried about me."

"Well, I don't like her." Which may not have precisely been the truth, but it was certainly a lie Spencer was planning on clinging to.

For now, at least.


End file.
